Rise of the Conqueror review – Gladiator meets throat singing as Mongol hordes ride out

Christian Mortensen takes up arms as the 14th-century kingmaker Timur but could do with a stronger force behind him and a better beard in front The western-produced Greco-Judeo-Roman epic has been with us since early cinema, while the Chinese film industry kept the eastern end up with a string of recent historical pictures. But what about the lands in between? Apart from a smattering of pictures about Genghis Khan, including John Wayne’s regrettable appearance in 1956’s The Conqueror , the Mongol hordes have not exactly ravaged the box office. So it’s refreshing to see Rise of the Conqueror sally forth, with Christian Mortensen in the saddle as the 14th-century Turkic-Mongol chieftain Timur . This is basically Gladiator with added throat-singing. Man-at-arms Timur is a kingmaker caught between his native Barlas tribe, which includes his testy brother-in-law Hussayn (Mahesh Jadu) who’s eager to reclaim his family’s rule in Samarkand; on the other side is occupying Mongol warmonger Tuglu...

EXCLUSIVE: Awarapan 2 sparks distributor frenzy; Dharma, Zee Studios, AA Films and others meet Mukesh Bhatt for theatrical rights

Awarapan (2007) underperformed at the box office during its theatrical run but went on to achieve cult status over the years, thanks to its unforgettable soundtrack, touching storyline, memorable dramatic and action moments and, of course, Emraan Hashmi in an intense, never-seen-before avatar. As a result, the trade and industry are confident about the prospects of Awarapan 2. Last week, some of the biggest distributors in the Hindi film industry were seen at the Vishesh Films office, keen to acquire the film’s all-India theatrical rights.

A trade source told Bollywood Hungama, “You name it and that distributor was seen at the Vishesh Films office last week – be it Zee Studios, Anil Thadani’s AA Films, Pen Marudhar, Jio Studios, Star Studio18, Cinepolis, etc. That’s not all. Dharma Productions, which now has its own distribution arm, also met Mukesh Bhatt. Lastly, Ananya Birla’s Birla Studios plans to not only produce but also distribute films in the future. Their representative also dropped by.”

An industry insider commented, “Ek zamaane mein hota tha that distributors would make a beeline and fiercely try to outdo each other to acquire the rights of a promising film. This episode reminded me of those days. It clearly shows that Awarapan 2 will be a film to watch out for. The first part has tremendous recall value. Memes are already being shared online about how fans are waiting to see the second part. As they say in our line, picture ekdum garam hai.”

The trade source further said, “Mukesh Bhatt is quite overwhelmed by the response. He met all the distributors warmly. Now, he and his team are analysing the offers and are expected to make a decision soon. Once that is done, the makers will announce the name of the distributor who won the competitive bid.”

Besides Emraan Hashmi, Awarapan’s first part also starred Shriya Saran, Mrinalini Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Ashish Vidyarthi, Shaad Randhawa, Salil Acharya, Purab Kohli and the late Atul Parchure. Mohit Suri directed the love saga while its evergreen songs were composed by Pritam Chakraborty.

As for Awarapan 2, it is directed by Nitin Kakkar of Filmistaan (2014) and Notebook (2019) fame. This time, Emraan is joined by Disha Patani and Shabana Azmi. It releases in cinemas on August 14.

Also Read: Awarapan 2 locked for August 14, 2026 release; Emraan Hashmi reunites with Vishesh Bhatt



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